What punishment should the NFL give the Patriots?

The Patriots have done nothing to show they’ve learned from previous incidents, and if proven guilty, need to be taught a lesson.

Head coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots claim they were’nt trying to gain a competitive advantage in Cleveland on Sunday. Time will tell.

The team is alleged to have illegally recorded film of the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline last week during their game against the Cleveland Browns. The entire league is tired of hearing a variation of this story. This, of course, is not the first time the Patriots have been accused of cheating via some strange espionage involving cameras and sign-stealing.

If the NFL can prove the Patriots were intending to steal signs from the Bengals, there must be serious repercussions. The league has already fined both the organization and Belichick multiple times, along with docking them significant draft capital. One wonders if further steps must be taken, perhaps including a lengthy suspension for any parties proven to know about nefarious activity.

A good start might be lengthy in-season bans for Belichick and Kraft if it’s concluded they knew about illegal filming. Additionally, the loss of multiple first-round picks should be in play. Finally, a salary cap penalty could also put the squeeze on New England. Maybe force the Patriots to have a $180 million cap next year when the rest of the league has $200 million. All this is conjecture, but it’s worth discussion.

If the Patriots were truly remorseful of their previous actions, potential incidents like this would not be happening once again. And if you compare the Patriots’ most recent statement to what they released back when the first “Spygate” occurred, as pointed out by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, it’s not much different.

"Consider this excerpt from an ESPN piece in 2015 about Spygate:The videographers also were provided with excuses for what to tell NFL security if asked what they were doing: Tell them you’re filming the quarterbacks. Or the kickers. Or footage for a team show.That story was published in 2015.And here we are four years later with the exact same scenario."

While the Patriots’ intent isn’t clear yet, it’s fair to say the team isn’t being careful enough to ensure compliance with league rules and regulations. That in itself is a significant problem.